Messed Up is a great novel about maturity and being independent. R.D., the main character, is abandoned by his grandmother and must figure out how to live on his own. He teaches himself to cook, clean, and even drive his grandpas old truck. R.D. learns several valuable lessons, like being responsible, keeping his word, and working hard at school. I enjoyed reading Messed Up because it was sad but touching, and it taught me to be thankful that I have a family that cares about me. I thought it was a great book! So different from anything else I've read in teen fiction. So 'boy'. Teen boys' brains supposedly rewire and make them feel a bit lost. The book lets us see how lost R.D. is. He doesn't know why he does the things he does. You feel his confusion throughout the book. I'd especially recommend it to a boy. It shows that learning survival skills like shopping and cooking might be a good thing to do. Otherwise his potatoes might taste like dirt! The writing style was fresh and the topic of living in gang country gave me a peek into what it might be like to be in a poor area where learning is inhibited by all the other life issues that are going on. It had an honest view of what it might be like to come upon a dead person--the muscles don't hold everything in any more. A detail most books ignore. And when R.D.goes to the funeral home to make arrangements he doesn't realize why people back away from him--it is his B.O. from skipping bathing and washing his clothes. So the book might be a bit too earthy and slang-ridden for many readers. Personally, that was one of the things that kept me interested--it wasn't all glossed over like some of the romance teen novels are. No football players falling in love with cheerleaders in this one. R.D. really lays it out when he complains that the girl that is interested in him dresses like a Ho. He is surprised when she doesn't end up pregnant after she goes after another guy. R.D.'s mom had him when she was still in junior high so it isn't an unexpected situation where he comes from. In many ways the book has a deeply compassionate portrayal of someone trying to navigate life when so much is against him. He hasn't been nurtured or shown how to develop a moral compass.
What do You think about Messed Up (2009)?
Great to hook young guys who normally don't like reading but like stories about the hood!
—abby
i think this book is really go and i want to find out what is goin to happen next to R.D
—raerae2478
